Association between the Vitamin D Receptor Gene (FokІ, BsmІ, ApaІ, and TaqІ) Polymorphism in Health‑care Workers and Susceptibility to COVID‑19.

Background: Considering the importance of the effect of Vitamin D in patients with COVID‑19 or tuberculosis, this study looked at how Vitamin D receptor (VDR) single‑nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect health‑care workers’ susceptibility to COVID‑19 infection. Methods: Three VDR SNPs (Asm1, Bsm1, Fok1, and Tag1) were investigated by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism in 164 individuals (in two groups): Group á, which consists of samples accrued from 2016 to 2019 from the GenBank TB laboratory before the pandemic, and Group bx, which includes samples collected during the COVID‑19 pandemic (2020–2023) with a purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test prepared. Results: Group á had more genotype AA in the Apa1 gene than Group b́, which was statistically significant (P = 0.00, odds ratio [OR]: 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11–0.43). Furthermore, the proportion of health‑care workers with COVID‑19‑mutated homozygous and mutated homozygous genotypeAC + CC was higher (P = 0.00, OR: 4.50, 95% CI: 2.32–8.73). This result could show that this gene is mutated and that the candidate is more likely to get COVID-19. In Group á, allele A was found to be more frequent (P = 0.01, OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.48–0.83), whereas in Group b́, allele C was dominant (P = 0.04 OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.01–2.24). Investigations of three genotypes of Bsm1 showed that genotype AG in Group b́ was more relegated than Group á (P = 0.00, OR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.25–4.42). Conclusion: The Apa1 gene was found to have significant differences in genotypes(AA, AC, and AC + CC) and alleles(A and C) in two groups of health‑care workers with COVID‑19 and cases control. We suggested that further study be done to establish the role of Apa1 and another gene polymorphism in susceptibility to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]